Finding Themselves
by Evil-Regal14
Summary: OutlawQueen AU. What would have happened if Robin and Regina had met before the curse in the Enchanted Forest?
1. Making a Deal

It was a beautifully warm morning in the Enchanted Forest, as it always was during this time of the year, and the town of Sherwood was bustling with joyful people. Yet there was one man who didn't fit in. He, unlike all the others around him, seemed upset about something, and from the expression on his face, you could tell that he was suffering from a broken heart.

The man sat for about ten minutes, on an old, crumbling doorstep, staring into the forest that seemed to encircle the town, as if he were waiting for someone to walk from it. All of a sudden, a young boy, who seemed to be only four or five years old, came sprinting towards him, with his arms out wide, and a huge grin spread across his face. "Papa! Papa!" The young boy yelled. Hearing those words, the man looked up and you could almost see his eyes light up as he watched the boy dart between passing town folk, desperately trying to reach his father. When he did, the man swept him up in his masculine arms, and squeezed him tight. "Hello Roland. What have you been up to today?"

"Well, I went to..." But before he could finish his sentence, a large man came striding over, a smirk beginning to form on his face. "Well, well, well. This is a surprise. Robin Hood. I never thought that I would see your smug little face here again." He said "And who might this be?" He gestured to Roland.

"This is my son. Is that against your rules Nottingham, to bring my son to Sherwood"

"Of course it isn't. You and your son are most welcome here, for today. But wait. Where is that awful wife of yours? Marian, wasn't it?"

This disheartened Robin. A mere six months ago, Robin, Marian and Roland, had stayed with a kind bandit, named Snow White. She had offered them food and shelter and a place to sleep for the night. Unfortunately the next morning they had found themselves surrounded by the Black Knights. Luckily, Robin was able to escape with Roland, and thanks to Marian, Snow was able to do the same. However, the Black Knights captured Marian, and was taken somewhere, deeper into the forest, to the leader of the Black Knights, The Evil Queen.

"Well, whatever happened to her, I think you've overstayed your welcome. If I ever see you, or any of your silly little family in Sherwood from this day forth, then you will regret it for the rest of your sorry little life!" And with that he walked away, leaving Robin and his son alone. They both sat in silence for a while, and then finally, Robin said to Roland, "Come on my little man. We need to go, OK?"

"OK Papa."

With that, the two set off into the forest, heading away from the town that Robin knew that he could never return to.

After many tiring days of trekking through the endless forest, Robin gave up all hope of ever finding another village to live in. He was lost, and depressed, and wished for nothing more than a warm bed and a hot meal for himself and Roland. The pair had travelled a great distance, and were tired and hungry, when they came across a cobbled path. It looked as if it stretched on for miles and miles in both directions, but it had to lead somewhere. However, before they had a chance to decide which way to go, a hooded figure stepped out onto the road opposite them. He was tall and intimidating, and just his presence made Roland hide behind his father for protection. Before he could stop himself, Robin had strung an arrow in his bow and aimed it at the heart of the mysterious figure.

"Well that won't help you much here dearie!" The man said, almost laughing as he watched Robin's confused face. "Don't you recognise me?" As he said this, he slowly lowered his hood, revealing his cracked skin and rotted teeth. Robin gasped, and tumbled backwards, taking Roland down in the process. "Please, forgive me, Dark One." Robin pleaded to the man, grasping his son with all his remaining strength.

"Don't worry. If I had wanted to hurt you, I would have done it already, dearie." The Dark One stated, with a small smile beginning to form on his lips. "No, I'm here, to make a deal."

"And what deal might that be?" Robin inquired, his curiosity growing by the second. "What could you possibly want from me and my boy?"

"Why your services of course!" The dark one replied, as if that had been obvious the whole time, "You are a thief, aren't you, Robin Hood?"

"How do you know my name?" Asked the Outlaw, shocked at the fact that the Dark One knew who he was.

"I know all, dearie. Now, answer my question. Are you a thief?"

Robin nodded, and a wide grin spread across the face of the Dark One. "Then we have much to discuss." And with those words, he waved his hand, and the three of them vanished in a cloud of dark red smoke, leaving no traces of ever having set foot into the forest.

When the trio reappeared, they seemed to be inside what looked like the great hall of a castle. Without hesitation, the Dark One pulled a chair from the grand dining table, and sat down on it, gesturing his hand towards two others, obviously welcoming the thief and his son to sit with him. Robin seemed almost frightened by the Dark One, so chose to sit a good few seats away from him, ushering his son along, and encouraging him to sit down in the chair beside him. "So, Robin Hood. I need you to steal something for me. You see, quite a long time ago, I gave away a precious item to a certain 'person'. Now, this item has great power, and will grant any one wish that your heart desires, assuming that your wish conforms to the laws of magic, of course. I need you to steal it back for me!" Rumple stated, looking from the outlaw, to his son, and then back to the outlaw again. "And what would you give me in return, after all, you said this was a deal!" Robin said, almost wishing he hadn't, as the Dark One gave him a smirk. "Well, I was just about to bring that up. Perhaps, this may persuade you to accept my deal." With that, he waved his hand again, and a rather large pile of gold appeared on the table in front of Robin and Roland. "This could be yours. You could raise your son the way he deserves to be raised. You can have a proper life together. And all you have to do, is steal a magic mirror!" the Dark One chuckled, "Do we have a deal?"

"Y-yes" Robin stuttered, amazed at the opportunity to raise his child the way he had always wanted to. "But, where exactly do I find this 'Magic Mirror'?"

"Ah, well you see, dearie. It is owned by a powerful sorceress. Her name is Regina, but you probably know her better by her nickname, 'The Evil Queen'!"

Robin swallowed, suddenly feeling very hot, with beads of sweat slowly making their way down his forehead.

"This..." He continued, as he waved his hand and a map appeared. "...will lead you to he palace. In her chambers, you will find a small, hand held mirror. That is the mirror I seek. Once you have it, and are safely away from my palace, you will call my name, and I will appear. Then, and only then, will you get your gold."

"But, how will I call your name if I don't know what it is?" Stated Robin, in a confused manner.

"My name, is Rumplestiltskin." He said, "Now leave my castle, before I change my mind and incinerate the both of you!" And with that, the thief and his son stood, and walked out with the map in hand.

Robin was yet to realise that this decision would be one that changed his life forever.


	2. The Theft

**I just want to say that your reviews mean a lot to me. This is my first Fan Fiction, and your support is very encouraging. If you have any ideas or suggestions then please review this Fiction and tell me how I can make it better. I could always use some help or constructive criticism. Thank you all so much. I will try to update this as often as possible and I hope you enjoy the story.**

Stumbling through the forest, with Roland in his arms, and the crumpled map in his hands, he gave an annoyed sigh, as he folded the map into a square and pushed it into his belt. Robin was good at many things, but map reading was not one of them. He decided that the two should give up for the day, and try again to find the queen's castle tomorrow. Robin set Roland down on a nearby log, and grunted as he sat on a rather uneven part of it himself. As his moved into a more comfortable position, something caught his eye. The shimmer of a knife in the dying sunlight. He stood, only to find that the shimmer died away. Yet he was still uneasy. "Follow me Roland, and stay close. I think someone is watching us." Without warning, an young man jumped from behind a tree trunk, holding a knife to Robin's throat. But after a second, he dropped the knife, and laughed, "Robin?"

Robin was bewildered, somehow, he recognized the voice. As he turned around, his eyes lit up, and he wrapped his arms around the man. "Will!" he exclaimed, "What... What are you doing here?"

"Well, I heard noises coming from over here, and came to investigate. What about you?"

"It's kind of a long story. You see, we were lost in the woods, as per usual, and we stumbled upon the... uh... Dark One."

"You what?"

"Wait, Will, before you say any more. He offered us a deal. He's going to give us gold. And that will give me a chance to raise Roland in a good home. But only if we steal something of his, from the Evil Queen."

"Bloody hell! Robin, what were you thinking. You know you shouldn't make deals with the Dark One. He's dangerous."

"I know, and that's why I need you to take care of Roland for the next couple of days. Just until I sort this mess out. Please?"

"Okay, but just for a few days, and only because you helped me out before."

"Oh, thank you Will. I won't forget this." Then he turned to Roland, "Now Roland, I need to take care of the thing that the Dark One wanted me to do, so I need you to stay with Will for a few days, okay?"

"Yes Papa."

With that, Will began to walk away with Roland. But just before he was out of Robin's sight, he turned and said, "Meet me in three days at the old hideout, an hour's walk from the Queen's castle."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

After a cold night of sleep, and a few more hours stumbling blindly through the forest, the thief finally looked upon the open road that lead to the glistening palace ahead. He felt his stomach clench and a few beads of sweat run down his forehead. This was the biggest robbery he had ever done. He was nervous, but he couldn't give up now. Not when his and Roland's futures were on the line like this.

He decided that it would be best to steal the mirror during the day, as it resided in the Queen's chambers, and he didn't want the task of sneaking past a sleeping Evil Queen being added to his list. So, Robin waited at the side of the road, concealed by a few bushes, until he had watched the Queen's carriage drive by, and waited until it was well out of sight before beginning to advance towards the palace.

As he stood beneath the looming gates, all nerves that he had vanished, and were replaced by excitement. It had been just under six months since Robin had even considered stealing from anyone. And now, here he was, about to steal a Magic Mirror from the Evil Queen. With an intake of breath, Robin stepped through the gates, into the palace.

He soon realised that finding the Queen's chambers would not be as easy as he had first thought. The palace was a maze, and it was impossible to navigate without a map to at least guide him through. After what Robin thought to be at least an hour of wandering desperately through hallways, and dashing around corners when he saw guards coming, he finally stumbled upon quite a grand door at the end of a corridor. He had a feeling that this was the door that would lead the the Queen's chambers.

So he stepped forward, and opened the door, to find what he had come to steal, the mirror.

What Robin saw inside the room was magnificent. There was an exquisite bed, with the most grand headboard he had ever laid his eyes on. A small distance from the bad, was a large dressing table, which was bigger than his small dining table back at his old home in Sherwood. He found himself go into a sad daze when he thought about his old home, and remembered all of the good times he had spent there with his son and wife.

Suddenly, jolting back to reality, Robin caught a glimpse of something shimmering on the table, and just as Rumplestiltskin had said, there was a small hand held mirror, laying there in the mid-afternoon sunlight. The mirror was beautiful, and was engraved with lots of patterns and markings. And there, right at the bottom of the handle, were the letter, 'R+C' in bold cursive. Remembering where he was, and realising that the queen could return at any moment, he picked up the delicate piece of metal and glass, and placed it carefully into his bag, before lifting out a rope, long enough to hang from the railing of the balcony that was attached to the grand chambers of the Queen, all the way to the ground, many stories below.

He uncoiled the rope, and set about tying it to the railing, but before he got far, he could make out the faint click of shoes coming down the hallway just outside the room he stood in, that he guessed could only belong to the Queen. Knowing that he could never escape in time, his eyes darted around the room, desperately trying to find a place to hide. Seeing an opportunity, he abandoned his rope, and the half finished knot, and dived under the Queen's bed, and just in time, because just at that moment, she walked in.

The Queen began talking to who Robin could only assume to be a guard, but he couldn't quite hear what they were saying. After a few minutes, the guard left, leaving the Queen alone, or so they thought.

Robin's chested heaved with anxiety, for he knew that he couldn't go undetected for long, as he watched her feet move slowly towards where the dressing table was. After a few seconds that seemed to last forever, he heard a loud shout of "No!" coming from above his head. "Who would dare to steal from me?" The voice screamed again, as if waiting for an answer that would never come. Then, the Queen stormed over to the balcony, where Robin realised he had left his rope. Maybe it would trick her into thinking that he had escaped, but no, she was too smart for that. The Queen tugged the rope hard, and smirked when the knot came undone in her hands, knowing that this could not possibly have held anyone's weight. "I know you're in here!" She coaxed, with a tone of danger in her voice. "Show yourself, thief, or pay the price!" Robin knew that he could not evade the Queen forever, and knew that the quicker she found him, the less painful his death would be. If he was lucky, she would snap his neck and be done with it. So, slowly, he slid out from under the bed, and raised his arms into the air in submission.

As he did so, the Queen laughed, a sly chuckle, and a wicked grin spread across her face. "Well, I've finally found an outlaw stupid enough to try and steal from my own castle, and think that he could escape with the stolen possessions, or at all, in fact. Why did you think you could accomplish such a feat? Huh?"

"I was forced to, by, a certain person who wanted to get their hands on this." And as he said this, he pulled the mirror from his bag and held it out to the Queen. "He promised me enough gold to bring my son up in a good home."

"Would this person be Rumplestiltskin, by any chance." Robin nodded, and the Queen circled the thief. "The Dark One has sent many a thief into my castle to steal this, but none made it much further than the castle gates. How did you do it?" When the thief refused to answer, and instead, bowed his head and stared at the floor. "Well, however you did it, you will be punished severely!" As she said this, her temper started to build up, until her blood was almost boiling and the smile on her lips had vanished. She lifted her hand to force the outlaw to stand, instead of his current kneeling position. Then, before he had a chance to even plead with her, she stomped towards him, until he could feel her breath, mingling with his own. She stood for a moment, watching the worried expression on his face, and enjoying every moment of it, before plunging her hand into his chest, lingering there a few seconds, and then pulling it out, along with Robin's glowing heart. "Please, your majesty, don't do this. I have a family, a son." He pleaded, and as he did so, he reached out to grab her wrist. "How dare you ..." The Queen began, but then she look down to his arm to shake him off, and saw the very thing she thought she would never see.

A tattoo of a lion, embedded on his wrist.


	3. Finding the Bandit

**I want to thank you all for sticking with me. I know that most people don't update their Fan Fictions as often as this, but I just get such a thrill out of writing this, that once I start a chapter, I finish it really quickly. Anyway. I hope you enjoy this. Chapter 4 will be on it's way shortly.**

 **xx**

The Queen looked up at the thief, and found herself staring into his deep blue eyes. She remembered all those years ago, when a fairy named Tinkerbell had told her that she could find another soul mate. She had led Regina to a tavern, and pointed him out to her. Now, she never did see his face, because she was too scared to go in, but she did see the tattoo of a lion that was printed onto his right wrist. And now, she was standing with the very owner of that tattoo, because he had decided it would be wise to try to steal from her. It may have been fate, or chance, but Regina knew that this was the same man, and she just couldn't bring herself to crush his heart. There was a small part of her that wanted to find out if Tinkerbell had been right. That wanted to find out if he really was her soul mate.

Seeing the Queen in a daze, Robin looked confused, she had his heart in her hand, but she hadn't crushed it, yet. "Your majesty?" He asked. And as she snapped out of her daydream, he became worried, what had come over her so suddenly. He didn't know why he was worried, after all, she was the Evil Queen. She had terrorized hundreds of people, and for a good few years, he had spent time running from her men, and ripping down her posters demanding his head. But something about her intrigued him. Maybe it was the wonderful chocolate colour of her eyes, or the way she held herself with such grace. Or maybe, it was because when he looked at her, his breath became caught in his throat, and his thoughts became cloudy.

"Well, thief. Today is your lucky day. I think I've found a way for us to both get what we want. Do me this task, and I will set you free, and allow you to keep this mirror. But, fail me, and it won't be you who pays the price, it'll be your son, and that awful friend of yours." She said, waving her hand towards her full length mirror to show an image of Will and Roland at his old camp, surrounded by Black Knights. "Do you understand, Thief?" Robin gulped, and then nodded. "Now, before I tell you the nature of my request, tell me your name." The Queen demanded, staring straight into his eyes, as if trying to burn holes into his skull. "Robin... Robin Hood." He stated uneasily. "Well, Robin Hood. For many years, I have been trying to capture and kill a certain, 'bandit'.Yet, however hard I try she always manages to evade me. I want you to bring her back here so that I can kill her." At this, she smiled slyly. "However, she won't come unless she has someone to motivate her, so I have taken the liberty of capturing her true love, Prince James. All you need to do, is 'help' her rescue him."

"Who is this bandit?" Robin inquired.

"Snow White." And as she plunged Robin's heart back into his chest, she whispered into his ear. "Do not fail me!" Then she vanished in a cloud of purple smoke, and left the guards to drag Robin back to the gates at the entrance to the palace.

Robin knew that he would have to obey the Queen, if he wanted to have a chance to let Roland grow up happily. And as he wandered aimlessly through the forest, he knew that he would never let her hurt his son. He had to find Snow White.

It took him hours to even reach the nearest village, and when he did, a young girl, who looked about the same age as Will, seemed to recognize him, and invited him to stay the night. "Robin!" She exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, have we met?" He inquired, surprised at this mystery woman knowing who he was."

"Only briefly, when I visited your camp maybe, a year ago. I'm Will's... partner."

"Oh... um... uh"

"Anastasia" She said. "I didn't expect you to remember me."

"Now that I look at you, I do remember your visit. You and Will make such a lovely couple. It's great to see you!" He hugged her, and graciously stepped into her small home. "But I have terrible news." At this Anastasia looked up, her eyes beginning to water, and a concerned look spreading across her face. "It's about Will. He's been captured by the Queen, along with my son." Anastasia burst into tears, and lent on Robin's shoulder for support, before he gently pulled her over to the bed, and sat her down on it, sat beside her and put his arm over her shoulder. "Don't cry. It'll be okay. I have a way to get him back. To get them both back! The Queen said that if I find a bandit, and bring her back to the palace, then she will set Roland and Will free."

"Really. She really said that?"

"Yes. That's why I'm here. I need help to find the bandit. Her name is Snow White. Do you know where I can find her."

"Snow White. Robin! You can't help the Queen kill Snow White. She is the rightful ruler of our Kingdom. With her dead, who will protect the people from the Queen's wrath?"

"I have to do this. If I don't, the Queen won't just stop with Roland and Will, she'll destroy everyone I ever cared about. And that's a lot of people. I'm sorry Anastasia, but I have to. Now, do you know where to find Snow White?"

She nodded, "You will find her in a cave due north, only a few hours walk from here. But Robin, please think about what you're doing. With Snow dead, the Queen will rule with fear and torture, not kindness."

"I know, but I have to do this!"Robin said. Then he thanked her, and told her that he had to go. The sooner he found Snow, the faster his son, and friend would be released, and the sooner he could give that mirror to the Dark One and start a new life with Roland.

The thief sprinted through the forest as fast as his legs would take him. And after an hour and a half, he found the cave that Anastasia had told him about. He hesitated for a moment, thinking about what she had told him. But he couldn't stop now. Not when he was so close to happiness. "Hello, is anyone here?" He said into the cave, and there came no answer, but before he could ask again, a voice from behind him said in a low tone, "Turn around, slowly." He recognized the voice. The bandit, Snow White, had helped him many time in the past few months when he and his son had needed a place to sleep. He almost felt as though they were friend. However, he also realised that it was partially because of her that his wife was no longer with him. She had been captured because she had helped Snow.

As Robin realised this, he began to feel like this was as much his vengeance as it was the Queen's. If it wasn't for Snow White, he would be somewhere in the woods with his Marian. "I said turn around." Came her voice interrupting his thoughts, and he did as she asked, slowly turning to face the bandit who's trust he would soon have to betray. "Robin? Robin Hood?"

"Snow?" She nodded, and dropped the bow she was holding to embrace him in a large hug.

"Where have you been, I haven't seen you in months. I feared the worst."

"I'm fine, but the Queen still wants my head, I've been in Sherwood for a while, trying to clear my head and think of something to do with my life now that... well, now that Marian's gone."

"I'm sorry, the least I can do is offer my condolences. Would you like to stay for the night?"

"Thank you Snow, that's very kind of you."

"Hang on. Where's Roland? Has something happened to him?" She looked worried.

"No, Roland's fine. He's staying with a friend whilst I take care of some... well, you know what."

The two chatted for a while inside the small, but comfortable cave. Snow laid out a sheet and some blankets on the floor for Robin to sleep on opposite her own makeshift bed. After a few hours, the conversation started to drift towards the topic of Snow's prince. She talked about him for about ten minutes, before Robin could even get a word in. " Uh... Snow?" Robin asked "It seems to me that you're very much in love with this 'Prince Charming', so where is he?" Robin asked her, tilting his head in curiosity.

"He was taken, by King George, but I've searched his dungeons, and the castle. I can't find him anywhere." She said sadly, a tear creeping down her cheek, and dripping off of her chin.

"Maybe the Queen has something to do with his disappearance." Robin suggested, knowing that she would agree with him.

"You're right. She has been trying to make me miserable for years. And she knows that I love him, and perhaps would even, die for him." She agreed, another tear sliding down her face to join the other at her feet. "But there's no point trying to rescue him. She would make it impossible."

"Yes, but she would also expect you to go alone, and without a plan." Robin stated, as he saw a chance to get her to the Queen's castle, and a plan started to form in his mind. "There are rumours that the Queen possesses a magical mirror, that can grant anyone their heart's desire. However, it is said to be kept in the Queen's chambers. Maybe you could use it to wish for your Prince."

At these words, a grin began to form on Snow's previously unhappy face. She agreed with him and inquired about the mirror. For hours, the two sat, talking about their new plan to break into the castle and steal the mirror. They would steal it tomorrow, at midday, when the Queen would be visiting the nearby villages, to try to find someone who would tell her where Snow was hiding.

A few hours later, when Snow had fallen sound asleep in her makeshift bed, Robin was still wide awake, and was carefully composing a letter, to tell the Queen of Snow's plans to break into the castle tomorrow. Once it was finished, Robin wandered outside, and whistled a short tune, only to find a mere five or so seconds later, that a black raven had landed on a log beside him. He attached the letter to the majestic bird's leg, and told it to deliver the letter to the Queen. As the bird flew away, Robin headed back inside, and fell asleep as soon as his head hit his pillow.


	4. The Fight

**Thank you guys for all the great reviews. Sorry this chapter took so long. I wanted it to be really good, and I just went back to school, so I haven't had much time. But here it is, to celebrate the season 5 premiere of OUAT coming in a few days! I just want to say, I don't own these characters, just the story and any original characters I may add in the future.**

Robin awoke with a start when he felt a small, gloved hand gently shaking his shoulder. He looked up, an annoyed expression on his face, to find Snow knelt down beside him. "Come on," She said in a soft tone, "It's time to go. We need to leave now or we won't make it to the Queen's castle in time!"

Robin slowly got to his feet, taking in a slow, deep breath of air. "Then what are we waiting for?" He asked cheekily. "Let's go save your prince!"

With this, the two grabbed their weapons, and strode out of the cave.

A few hours later, Robin and Snow were concealed behind a clump of greenery, about halfway along the road that lead to the Queen's castle, waiting for her carriage to drive by. Luckily, they didn't have to wait long, because sure enough, within a few minutes of hiding themselves, the carriage sailed by, and headed down the road to the nearest village. They waited until the carriage was well out of sight before continuing up the road, towards the looming castle ahead of them.

It didn't take long to get inside of the castle, as there weren't many guards posted around the entrance. Most of them were lingering around the doorway that lead down to the dungeons, and Snow suspected that the Queen was keeping Prince James down there. But she also knew that trying to rescue him would be the same as surrendering, so she continued with the plan that she had made with Robin.

It didn't take half as long to find the Queen's quarters as it had done the first time Robin had tried to break into the castle, but that was probably because Snow used to live here, so she knew her way around it well.

When the grand doors that Robin knew lead to their destination appeared at the end of the corridor, he grabbed Snow's arm, and yanked it in a way that forced her to turn towards him, and said, "Just in case we don't make it out of this alive, I want you to know that I'm grateful for everything that you have done for me and my family. Without you, I probably wouldn't be here with you right now."

"Robin, don't talk like that. We will succeed, and when we do, we can both go back to the lives we deserve."

"If only I could be as optimistic as you." Robin joked. "Well then. Let's go!"

The pair strode towards the door, and as Snow opened it, Robin felt a pang of guilt hit him. What he had said was true, without her, he probably would be dead. However, it was also her fault that Marian had been killed, and if he didn't do this, he would lose Roland too. He had to go ahead with it, for surely the Queen would find another way to torture him after she had killed his son. He could not fail now. So he followed her into the room.

The Queen's chambers were even grander than he remembered. There was still the same bed that he had hidden under the first time he had broken in here, but the dressing table had been replaced by a new one, made of a smooth dark wood that complimented the design of the room perfectly. As he studied the new decorations, he glanced over towards the balcony, only to see a female figure stood there, looking out into the palace gardens. Robin hadn't realised that Snow had found the mirror, and was walking towards him, obviously ready to leave.

"Is this the one?" She asked in a hushed tone. Robin nodded, and gulped as Snow began to creep towards the door.

There was a loud bang as the doors swung shut, and made Snow leap back in surprise. "Well, well, well. Isn't this my lucky day." Came a voice from the other side of the room. A voice that Robin knew belonged to the Queen. "Today's the day that I can finally kill the two idiots who started it all." She walked towards Snow, the most evil look that Robin had ever seen spread across her face. He tried to run towards her, and stop her before she got to Snow, but she was too smart, and had somehow stuck his feet to the marble floor. Then he remembered his bow. But when he reached for an arrow, Robin found that his quiver was empty. He was beginning to hate this _Evil Queen_. He looked over at Snow, who at that moment decided to speak "Are you going to use your magic Regina? Or are you afraid to get your hands dirty?"

"I don't need magic to kill you!" The Queen replied calmly, "Magic is too good for you! I want to watch you bleed." She waved her hand and after the cloud of purple smoke had vanished, the two were holding swords.

"Please your majesty," Robin shouted, "Don't do this!"

"Shut it thief. Your job was to bring her here so I could kill her. Not so you could try to stop me."

"Robin, you planned this?" Snow asked, a tear dripping down her cheek as she turned toward him.

"I'm sorry Snow, but she threatened Roland. I had to protect him. I can't lose him like I lost Marian."

"I understand. I would have…" She started. But before she could finish, Regina ran at her, sword held high, and the battle began.

The clashing of swords was almost deafening to Robin's ears. It took him a few moments to work out what was happening. Regina and Snow were in a full fledged war against one another. They danced around the room throwing various objects at one another and lunging at the other one for a few minutes. Then Regina spoke, "Wow, you actually think that you can hurt me." Snow lunged, and Regina barely managed to dodge the blade. "Let me know when you're tired of missing Snow White!"

"I only have to hit you once." replied Snow in a smug tone. She ran at the Queen, but instead of lunging at her, she jumped onto her, knocking them them both to the ground. In doing so, Snow had succeeded in hitting Regina's head into the bottom of her dresser. She quickly got up and made for the balcony, but she didn't even make it halfway, as Regina got up and raised her hand towards Snow, throwing her against the wall. Trying to recover as quickly as possible after noticing that Regina was up, and quickly moving towards her, she desperately looked for her sword. "You said no magic" She told Regina, angry at the Queen.

"And you said you could keep a secret!" The Queen replied, retrieving her sword from by the balcony.

"I...Was...Ten!" Snow screamed as she ran at the queen.

The fight lasted for what seemed like hours to robin, and all he could do was spectate. There would be moments where Regina was winning, and moments where Snow was winning, but each time, the other would block their attack and everything would start over again. All of a sudden, after what seemed like eternity, Robin realised that Snow had pinned the Queen to the floor, and thrown her sword to the other side of the room. She knelt slowly, ensuring that Regina's hands were trapped beneath her knees, and raised her sword above the Queen's chest.

"Snow! Stop!" Robin screamed, at the top of his lungs. She turned her head to look at him, but did not move the weapon threatening Regina. "You can't do this Snow. If you do, you'll be just as bad as her. Don't fill your heart with darkness."

Snow slowly put down her sword, but she didn't let the Queen go, instead, she placed her hand into her pocket, and pulled out a red dust, Poppy Dust. Snow blew it into Regina's eyes, and watched her fall into a deep sleep. She then slowly got up, and walked towards the mirror that had been dropped to the floor before the fight, and luckily hadn't smashed, picked it up and walked towards the door. "Goodbye Robin." She said to him, before leaving him alone with the unconscious Queen.

Regina hadn't undone her spell on Robin before Snow had knocked her unconscious, so he had been forced to stay in the same spot for hours, waiting for her to awaken. After a while, Robin grew tired, and wished that she would wake up soon, so that he could lie down and sleep. Eventually, he settled for sitting on the floor, with his knees tucked up to his chest. The poppy dust's effects lasted around five hours, so it wasn't until dusk that the Queen finally woke up. "Wha… what happened?"

"Your majesty, you've finally woken up!"

"You… You saved me?"

"Indeed I did, and I would be grateful if you would get rid of this spell that binds my feet to the floor."

"Oh yes, of course." She waved her hand and Robin found that he could finally lift his feet from the ground. He stood up and rushed over to Regina, trying to help her to her feet, and held out his hand to her.

"What _are_ you doing?" She asked.

"I believe you're supposed to take it." He said cheekily, a smirk on his face.

"I don't need your help, Outlaw." She spat, but reluctantly took his hand when he didn't withdraw it.

"A simple thank you would suffice, milady."

"It's 'your majesty', And why would I thank you when you allowed Snow White to walk out of here with my mirror."

"In my defense _your majesty_ , I couldn't move, and you emptied my quiver of arrows, so how could I have stopped her?"

"Don't be smart with me thief. I could easily snap your neck with the wave of a hand, so I would choose my words very carefully if I were you!"

"Is that a threat your majesty?"

"I believe it is, thief." She taunted. "Now, we could stand around arguing all night, or I could show you to your room, and we can both leave each other alone for the rest of the night."

"That sounds like a plan your majesty. But what about my boy, and Will."

"Your son is waiting for you in your room, and you will find your friend next door." Then, with a wave of her hand, they were both in a small room with two single beds. "Meet me in the council room in the morning and we shall discuss your reward. Goodnight." And with that, she vanished in a cloud of smoke.

"Papa!" Roland ran towards his father and leapt into his arms. "Where have you been papa?"

"I'll tell you in the morning. You should be in bed by now, it's late."

"Will said to wait for you."

"Okay. Goodnight son."

"Goodnight Papa."

With that, the two went to bed, and fell asleep almost instantly.

 **(Did anyone notice the Season 4 Quotes?)**


	5. A New Life

**I'm extremely sorry that this chapter has taken so long. I've been really busy lately and I haven't had many ideas for this chapter. This one is a little boring but the next one will make up for it. Enjoy!**

Robin awoke late the next morning, as he was tired after the events of the previous afternoon. He quickly dressed himself before walking next door to find Will. He knocked on the door, and smiled as it opened to reveal his friend.

"Robin?" He asked. "You're back."

"Yes, I am." Robin replied as he pulled Will into a tight embrace. "Can you do me a favour?"

"Of course. You did save my life after all. What do you need me to do?"

"Can you look after Roland again? The Queen has requested my presence in the council chambers."

"Yeah. Of course mate. Just promise me that you'll come back this time."

"I promise." Robin lead Will into his room where Roland had just woken up.

"Will!" He shouted, and ran toward the man, giving him a massive hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm gonna look after you today."

"Again" Roland pouted, "But I wanna spend time with Papa."

"I'm busy today Roland, but as soon as I'm done I'll come and play with you."

"Okay. See you later."

Robin left the two of them together and decided he should try to find the council chamber in the Queen's immense castle. It took many wrong turns, and frustrated groans before he finally stumbled across it. He realised that he was nervous, but stepped forward towards the door. It was ajar, and through the small crack, Robin could see her. She was wearing the most elegant dress he had ever seen, made from what looked like red velvet, and decorated with beautiful black lace around the neckline, sleeves and waist. She looked stunning. All of a sudden, the doors swung open, and Robin leapt back in surprise.

"Good morning thief. I was starting to think that you weren't coming." A smile spread across Regina's face.

"I'm sorry your majesty, I just…" Robin started, but was interrupted when Regina spoke.

"Save your apologies. You saved my life, so in return I shall grant you a favour. There must be something you desire." She moved towards him, not once breaking her gaze, and Robin found that his breath caught in his throat. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever set his eyes on, and he suddenly had the urge to be close to her. But he held back, in fear of what she might do to him if he showed any romantic interests towards her. "Well thief? I'm waiting." Regina said impatiently, her smile turning from a smirk to a more serious expression.

Suddenly, he remembered. There was no home for Robin to take Roland back to after this, so why not stay here. "I… I… I only ask to stay in the castle. You see, me and my son have nowhere to live. All I ask for is a job, and a place to stay for a while." He shuffled back a little, almost afraid to hear the Queen's answer.

She considered his offer for a while, then told him, "As you wish. You shall stay here in the castle for as long as you want, and I shall arrange for you to have a job here." Regina turned to the two guards that were standing by the door, "Guards, find my huntsman and bring him here immediately!" Both of the guards rushed out of the room after saying, "Yes your majesty," and Regina and Robin were left alone.

"Is there any specific job you were looking for? Or will anything do?" Regina asked after a few moments of silence, and looking at him with a curious, yet smug look on her face.

"I don't mind your majesty. All I care about is that my son is safe, and well looked after." He caught her gaze, and spent what seemed like an eternity staring into her beautiful chocolate brown eyes. Suddenly the doors burst open and the two guards that had left only a few minutes earlier had returned, bringing with them a tall man wearing a fur cloak, who Robin assumed was the Huntsman.

"Ah. Good morning Huntsman. I've got some good news for you." She walked towards him slowly and waved her hand, conjuring a small wooden box. "I've decided that you've done your time in my court. You're free to leave." She opened the box and took out a small object that seemed to be glowing, but Robin couldn't quite make out what it was. Perhaps some sort of teleportation device, or maybe a means of communication. Robin took a step closer, and finally realised what had been in the box. It was a heart. A human heart. He watched as Regina plunged the heart into the other man's chest, and slowly walked away from him backwards. "Now leave, before I change my mind."

Robin watched as the guards escorted the man out of the room, and once again he was left alone with the stunning queen. She turned to face him once again, and in fear, Robin took a step back.

"Don't worry thief. Your heart will stay in your chest, for now." She smiled at him, a wickedly evil smile, before continuing. "I only took his because he had to be… persuaded, let's say, to do my bidding. But you, you have chosen to do this. From now on, you will be my royal Huntsman. You shall escort me when I leave the castle, and should I ever need anyone killed and for some reason, and I am unable to kill them, you will be the one to do it. Do you understand me?"

Robin was relieved, and was beginning to think that he might even have a nice time here, apart from the part where he would have to kill people, but it would have to be done to ensure the safety of his son, so he replied with, "Yes your majesty, I understand, and I am honoured to serve you." He bowed his head for a moment, then looked at the Queen again. She had a small smile on her face, but as soon as she noticed him looking at her, she went back to her serious expression.

"Very well, Robin Hood. I will move you, your son and your friend to more suitable chambers, closer to mine, so that if I should need anything, all I have to do is send for you."

"Thank you your majesty. I am truly grateful for this." He turned and left the room, leaving the Queen alone. The thought of him staying in the palace pleased her. Although she wouldn't admit it, she found him a little attractive, and she certainly wasn't against the idea of spending time with him. So with the thought of him in her mind, she walked out to her apple tree in the royal gardens, and sat there to think.

Regina wasn't the type of person to trust people very quickly, and she had vowed never to let anyone else into her heart after Daniel had died. She still wore the ring he had given her, the night he was killed, to remind her of him. She quickly reminded herself that she was supposed to be finding her new Huntsman a room closer to her chambers, and rushed indoors.

An hour later, she had found a room, and asked her guards to find Robin and take him and his son there. It was a lot closer to her chambers than the other room, so it would be much easier to find him when he was needed. "Good afternoon your majesty." A voice said from behind her. She turned to find the thief and his son stood in the doorway. He bowed and walked slowly towards her. "You asked for me?"

"Good afternoon Huntsman. These will be your chambers, and Roland will stay here with you. Your friend will be staying next door and my chambers are at the end of the hallway. I'll have my guards bring you dinner tonight, and breakfast tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, I'm truly grateful for this opportunity." Robin bowed and watched as Regina left the room. "Roland, come here." He stretched his arms out as Roland ran towards him, picked up the small boy in his arms and squeezed him to his chest.

"Papa. Is this going to be our new home?" Robin walked over to the bed and sat down, sitting Roland next to him.

"I hope so Roland. I'm doing a job for the Queen at the moment, so at least for a while, yes, we're going to stay here." A huge grin appeared on Roland's face. "Is Will going to stay with us too Papa? Please?"

"Yes Roland, the Queen has very kindly allowed him to stay in the room next door, so you can go and see him whenever you want." Just at that very moment, the door creaked open, to reveal Will standing just outside the room.

"Will!" Roland shouted in excitement, "You're here!" He ran over to Will, squeezed his leg and scrunched his eyes closed.

"Someone seems pleased to see me." Will stumbled slightly, a little startled at the young boy's show of affection. "Good afternoon Roland." He said to the young boy, trying desperately to prise Roland's hands off his leg.

"Hello. I told you I'd come back." Robin grinned as he said this, and will chuckled a little. "I suppose we should just wait for our food. I hope it's not long. I'm famished."

"Me too mate. And I think Roland's a bit tired. You should probably get him off to bed soon." Roland ran over to the bed and sat down on it next to his father.

"No! I'm not tired. I don't want to go to bed Papa."

"It's not bedtime just yet Roland. Don't panic."

There was a loud knock on the door, and without being given permission to enter, one of the Queen's guards walked in, carrying a tray of food. He looked at the three in the room and spoke to them quietly. "There's another tray in your friend's room." He left without saying another word.

"Well. I guess that's my cue to leave. I'll see you tomorrow." Will walked through the door, leaving Roland and Robin to eat their food, and soon after, fall into a deep sleep.


	6. Search and Rescue

**Sorry for the late update, I've been really busy lately. Hope you enjoy the chapter, and I will be uploading another shortly. :)**

A year had passed, and Robin had just returned to the castle after two months of fighting against Snow White and her army. As he walked through the many corridors, he couldn't help but think of the Queen. For the past year he had spent the majority of his time with her, whether it was in council meetings, or visiting nearby villages, and he was starting to think that he had developed feelings for her, although he could never admit that to anyone.

Roland and Will were no longer staying with Robin, as Will had found a job in the stables with Anastasia, and had offered to keep Roland with him whenever Robin was busy with his work for Queen Regina. Robin walked, un-noticed, into his room, and was surprised to see Roland sitting on the bed, talking to Will.

"When's Papa coming home Will. We've been waiting in here for hours." Roland yawned, and leaned on Will with a sad expression in his face.

"Don't worry Roland. He'll be back soon, I saw the soldiers coming into the castle about ten minutes ago, so…" Will looked up at the door at that moment, and noticed Robin standing there, but before he could say anything, Robin silently motioned for him to wait until Roland saw him.

Noticing the silence in the room, Roland looked up towards the door. "Papa! You're back! I've missed you so much." He ran towards Robin and leaped into his arms. With a big grin on his face, Robin embraced his son into a tight hug. "And I you Roland."

For the next few hours, the happy family went strolling through the palace gardens, while Roland told his father all about his time spent with Will and Ana. But soon enough, it was dark, and Roland went off with Will to bed. As Robin sat alone on the wall of the centre fountain, he began to wonder if the Queen had returned yet. Over his time away with her, they had created a bond of some sort, and he was worried about her. When he had left the battlefield, Regina had taken some of her best swordsmen to capture Snow White whilst she was alone and unprotected.

He rushed through the castle towards her chambers, praying that she would be there. When he reached the door, he knocked and patiently waited for an answer, but none came. He opened the door, hoping to find that the Queen hadn't heard his knock, and would be safely in her room, but when he entered, he found the room to be empty, with no sign of it being occupied for quite some time.

"Looking for Regina dearie?" A dark figure spoke, as he strolled into the room from the double doors that led to the Queen's balcony.

"Rumplestiltskin!" Robin shouted, "What have you done to her you foul beast?" He strode over to where Rumplestiltskin was stood, his hands clenched into fists, and his feet stomping on the ground.

"What have _I_ done to her? Oh no no no dearie. Don't you mean, what has Snow White done to her?" He waved his hands toward the large mirror in the room, and a picture appeared. It was Regina, trapped within a cell in what looked to be the castle of Snow White and Prince James.

"Why would Snow do such a thing?"

"Well, how else do you eliminate a threat to the kingdom?" Once again he waved his hands, and the picture in the mirror transformed, and became a courtyard, with a wooden stand in the centre, a blindfold on top of this, and five bows, hung neatly on the wall behind it.

"No." Robin muttered.

"Oh yes. Tomorrow, the _Evil Queen_ is to executed for her crimes against the kingdom." Robin turned to leave the room, but the Dark One grabbed him by the wrist, "If you are to succeed, you must take this." With another wave of a hand, a bow appeared in Robin's grasp, and a quiver full of arrows on his back. "This bow is enchanted, and will never miss it's target."

"And what's in this for you, beast?"

"Consider this a gift. After all, the safety of the Queen will benefit me greatly." And with that he vanished in a puff of smoke.

Robin left the castle immediately, taking only a horse from the stables and a small bag of food. He had no plan, and no way of knowing how or where to find the Queen. All he cared about was her safe return to the castle, and he knew he would do anything to make that possible.

After a long sleepless night, he finally reached the castle. With an arrow in his bow, he crept through the gates, and entered the castle. The corridors were like a maze, even more so that Regina's palace. No matter how hard he tried, or which way he turned, or how many rooms he looked in, he couldn't find the Queen. He was running out of time, and starting to become fearful that he would be too late, but as he turned a corner, he found a thin set of stairs, leading upwards. _This could be it,_ he thought to himself, and he started to climb the stairs.

About halfway up, from what he could guess, he heard footsteps coming from above him. He had gone too far up to get back down without alerting the person of his presence, so he readied his bow. As the steps got louder, he slowly crept up a few steps, and heard a clatter. Looking up, he saw the last person he wanted to see, Snow White, who seemed to have dropped a silver platter onto the steps.

"Robin?" She spoke, obviously shocked to see him, "What are you doing here?"

"I want you to let the Queen go" He said angrily, "She may be evil, but she doesn't deserve to die. I stopped you from doing this once. Do I have to do it again Snow?" He tightened his grip on his bow and aimed at Snow. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to."

Snow picked up the platter and ran past him. She turned, "You're making a mistake Robin. You have no idea what she's capable of," and then she disappeared out of sight.

With no time to lose, Robin sprinted up the rest of the stairs, knowing that Snow would call her guards as soon as she got down the stairs. Finally, he came to a small door, and opened it slowly.

Alone in the room, trapped behind a set of iron bars, was the Queen. She was sat on the bed trying to remove a leather cuff from her wrist. "I told you Snow. I'm not hungry, leave me…" she looked up, expecting to see Snow White stood there. But instead, she saw Robin standing there, with a smile on his face. "Robin! What… What are you doing here?" She seemed shocked.

"You weren't in your chambers last night, and Rumplestiltskin told me what happened. Come on. We haven't got much time." He walked toward the cage and tried the door. "Can you use your magic to open it?"

"Don't you think if I could I'd already be home?" She glared at him, then held up the wrist with the cuff on it. "This _thing_ blocks my magic, and I can't get it off."

"Maybe it's just the wearer that can't take it off. Give me your wrist." And sure enough he managed to peel the cuff off her wrist. Without hesitating, Regina blew open the door and walked out of the cage. Only now did Robin realise that she wasn't in her usual attire. Instead, she wore a simple blue dress and a tattered cardigan. "Come on your majesty. I bumped into Snow White on the way up here, and it won't be long before her guards get here." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the door and down the staircase. When they reached the bottom, Regina pulled her wrist out of Robin's hand, "I'm capable of walking by myself Robin." She stopped for a moment, rubbing her sore wrist.

"I apologise your majesty, I only wish to get out of this castle quickly." He looked down, annoyed at himself.

"Then we'd better get going. Follow me."

They walked quickly through the castle, with Regina leading and Robin following swiftly behind. Soon, they were in the main courtyard of the palace, with the palace gates only a minute's walk away.

Suddenly there was a shout from behind them, "Stay where you are!" The two began to run toward their only exit, but were cut off by another yell from another guard. Regina held out her hand, and a fireball formed there. She threw it towards the guard that was blocking her way, and continued to run towards the gate. The guards behind them were closing in fast, and Robin knew they couldn't get out without a fight, so he turned and started to fire arrows at each of the guards in turn. Just like Rumplestiltskin had said, he didn't miss a single shot, and before long, all the guards were lying on the floor. He ran towards the exit and caught up with the Queen. "Come along your Majesty, let's get out of here," and with that, the two walked through the gates of the castle, and into the forest.

By the time they were a safe distance from the castle, and had located Robin's horse, the two decided that it was too late to return to Regina's palace. Robin made a fire, and Regina used her magic to make two small tents appear, each with a comfy sleeping bag, and clothes to sleep in.

They both sat on a small log beside the fire, eating some of the bread and cheese that Robin had brought with him.

"Thank you, by the way. You know, for coming to find me." Regina spoke quietly. She looked up at Robin and he could see that she meant it.

"You're welcome. I couldn't just leave you to be executed." He finished his food and was about to get up, but Regina spoke again.

"Not many people would do that for me. Most people would rejoice at my demise." She said sadly. Robin sat back down and, without thinking, took her hand into his, as he would with most people when trying to comfort them.

"Well, I'm not most people am I?" To Robin's surprise, Regina tightened her grip on his hand, and turned slightly to face him.

"I suppose not," she said with a smile on her face. And then she did something Robin never expected her to do. She kissed him.


End file.
